Process and apparatus for decomposing hydrocarbon oils and water and recomposing theproducts therefrom



April 29, 1924.

l.1. L. MURRIE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FDR DEcoNPoSTNG VIDTDRocARoN oTLS AND WATER AND REcoNPoSTNG THE PRODUCTS THEREFRDM Filed March 2'?. i922 ,A 51A MM ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 2Q, i324.

JOHN LESTER' MURRIE, 0F NEW YQRCK, h?. Y.

PRGESS AND APPARATUS FOR DECOMPOSING HYDRGCARBON @XLS ND WATER AND RECOMPGSING' THE PRODUCTS THEREFREI.

Application led March 27, 1922. Serial No. 547,313.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN LESTER Monate, a citizen of the United States, whose address is 74 Broadway, borough of Manhattan, county, city, and State .of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Processes and apparatus for decomposing hydrocarbon oils and water and recomposing the i products therefrom into various other products, such as hydrocarbon'oiis of diierent characteristics from the untreated oil and also fuel and illuminating gases.

Broadly, my invention consists in causing, at a high velocity, an intermixturc of oil and superheated water to impinge upon a similar opposing jet of oil and superheated water, whereby the oil and Water are broken up into an extremely iine lmolecular condition and very completely vaporized, and thereafter subjecting the vapor so formed, under pressure, to a high degree of heat in a converting coil, whereby the molecules of oil and water are caused to combine in varying proportions, dependent on the pressure and heat, thereby forming new hydrocarbon products, which are rendered fixed and stable by the heat to which they. are subjected in the generator coil.

The invention may be best explained by a description of the apparatus herein illustrated.

in the drawings, which are largel dia grammatic, Fig. 1 is a vertical partial y sectional Viewof the apparatus; Figs. 2 and 3 are end elevations of the molecularizing jet head. Fig. 4 is a vertical and central sectional view of the molecularizing jet head; Fi 5 is a horizontal and central section of tie molecularizing jet head, show- 4o ing the jets and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one of the jets. ln the drawings, similar iigures and letters represent similar parts.

A. A vrepresent the refractory walls of a. furnace of any suitable construction, through wall A of which passes a pipe 1 connectin water tank D with the superheating coll 2. The superheating coil`2 connects by pipe 3'with the atomizer B, Pipe 4 connects oil tank C with the atomizer B. 5 is a converting coil connecting at its upper end 6 with atomizer B and at its lower end with outlet head 7. 8 is a burner arranged for burning gas or oil, and shown for burning gas, and is connected by pipe 8f to a 55 source of gas and by pipe 9' to the outlet pipe 10 from the generating coil 5. The burner 8 is also connected by'pipe 11 to a source of compressed air. Water tank D is connected by pipe 12 and oil tank G is G0 connected by lpipe 1 3 to pipe 14, which in turn is connected to a source of compressed air. 15 is a drain ipe for the converting coil 5 and 16 is a p ug by means or which access may be had to` the interior of con- @5 verting coil 5. 17 and 18 are drain pipes for tanks C and D. 19 and 20 are 'pings by means of which tanks C and D can be respectively filled with oil and water. E is a condenser consisting of a closed case 19 70 and coii 20, coil 20 being connected at its inlet end to pipe 10 and at its outlet end to pipe 21. Condenser E is also connected by pipe 22 to a source of water supply and by pipe 23 to a water overdow. Pipe 21 75 connects to a condensate tank F, which in turn is connected by pipe 24 with a gas tank G. 25 and 26 are drain pipes for tanks F and G respectively. 27 is a spring pressure relief valve for controlling the pressure in condenser coil 20 and 28 is a pres sure gauge indicating the pressure in condenser coil 20. S is a stack for carrying away the products of combustion from furnace A. A. 29 is a, stack damper. a. b. c. 85 d. e. f. g. h. z'. j.v le. Z. m. a. o. p. q. arev valves controlling the various pipes in which they are inserted. 7' and .s are check valves in oil pipe 4 and water pipe 1 respectively, to prevent any back action from the liquids passing therein.

B is an atomizer, consisting preferably or a cross shaped chamber 30.. 30. with four' openings, each respectively closed by a removable head 31, 32, 33, 34. The upper end 6 of converter coil 5 is inserted in head 33 and head 34 is provided with a pressure gauge 35. The outlet pipe 3 of superheated water coil 2 is branched at 40 into pipes 36 and 37 and the oil supply pipe 4 is branched 10o at 41 into pipes 38 and 39. 42 and 43, 42 and 43 are manifolds, manifold 42 being connected to the superheated water pipe 33 through needlevalve fv and pipe-44, manifold 43 being connected to the oil pipe 39 105 through needle vaive w and ipe 45, inanifold 42 bein connected to t e superheated water pipe 3g through needle valve lv and connected to and controlled by needle valves .9. t. u. and s t u', are injector type jets J and J shownin detail in Fig. 6, arranged diametrically opposite in pairs as shown. Any number ofpairs of jets may be used, three pairs being shown inthe drawings. Each of these jets, seeFig. 6, consist o an inner tube- X and an outer encircling tube Z, the inner tube being connected to the oil source and the outer tube being connected to the'superheated water source through n`eedle valves e. t. t1.. and e tu. s. t. u. and s t u are needle. valves so arranged and connected to the manifolds 42, 43 and 42', 43 and the 'ets J. J. J. and J J J as to control the ow of oil to the jets J and J. The preferred construction of these jets is shown in Fig. 6 in which X is the inner tube and Z the outer encircling'tube. The inner tube X is connected through the oric'e 55 with the oil inlet 53 and the outer tube Z is connected through opening 46, 46, between it and inner tube X with the'superheated water inlet 52. 54, 56 is a'screwthreaded needle valve stem which by means of handle H controls thev size of the opening 55 and so the amount of oil permitted to flow therethrough. 28, 35 and 35 are pressure gauges and 57 and 58 are pyrometers for determining the pressures and temperatures in the various parts of the apparatus'. 59 is a spring safety valve to control the pressure in the'system. The whole system operates automatically, continuously, and under pressure at all times.

- The needle valves permit the supply of oil to each jet to be controlled separately, which is of importance in the practical operation of the invention.

The operation 'of the system is as follows: The oil and water tanks C and D being filled with oil and Water, the burner 8 being ut in operation and the furnace A. A' eated up to the desired temperature, about 1200 F. to 14000 F., control is applied, by means of valves a and c, to the oil and water ltanks C and D, thereby causingthe oil and water to flow through pipes 4 and l, such iow being controlled by va ves b and d. The water passes into the superheating coil 2 where it is raised to a high temperature, but being confined, canj not changeinto steam until released. The

pressure employed will depend upon the temperatures used, since it must be suicient to prevent the vaporization of Vthe water. The temperature employed will depend upon the character of the oil being treated, and the particular result which it is desired to attain. The superheated water passes vfrom coil 2 through pipe 3 to coned air pressure.

nection 40, where it divides and passes` through pipes 36 and 37, needle valves 'v and o and pipes 44 and 44 to manifolds 42 and 42. At the same time the oil :tiows through pipe 4 to connection 41, where it divides and passes through pipes 38 and 39, needle valves fw and to and pipes 45 and 45 to manifolds 43 and 43. Its further progress is controlledby the needle valves s, t, u, and s', t', u', which, when opened, pel"- mit the oil to pass through the central tube 48 (Fig' 6,) in jets J and J issuing at the opening 51, where it is caught up by the steam issuing at 50, where the steam vaporizes the oil and intermingles with it and imparts its force and velocity to it. This action takes iplace at the vorifices of all six jets, and as these jets are arranged in pairs, axially opposite each other, the opposed streams of intermingled steam and oil strike each other at high velocity and with great force. The eli'ect of such impact is to produce an extremely line atomized condition'of the meeting fluids, which thoroughly breaks down the chemical combinations of hydrogen and oxygen, forming the steam, and the chemical con binations 'of carbon and hydrogen forming the oil, and to release the molecules of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon into a free state, entirely disassociated Vfrom each other and at the same time to form a very intimate mixture of these molecules. The Vapor thus formed is under pressure, which is controlled by the amount of superheated water and oil permitted to pass to the jets. The molecular vaporjthen passes through pipe 6 into the converting coil 5,

where under the iniuence of combined heat` and pressure, the molecules of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon reunite toV form new hydro-carbon compounds entirely ldifferent from the original hydrocarbon or oil supplied to the apparatus, such compounds being dependent in character on the temperatures and ressures under which they are ios formed, di erent combinations of heat and j pressure forming diii'erent hydrocarbon com ounds.

T ese compounds are stabilized and fixed in the converting coil, whence in vapor or gaseous form they pass through union 7, pipe 10 and valve k to a condenser E, which maybe of any desired form, the one shown consisting of a coil 20 enclosed in a casing 19 through which water is allowed to flow through pipe 22, valve m, condenser casing 19, valve Z and pipe 23. As all of the condensing is performed under pressure in the condensing coil 20, a gauge 28 is provided for showing the pressure in the condensing coil and a spring release valve 27, which may be set to any desired pressure is placed in the outlet pipe 21. The condensate passes through pipe21 and valve o into a storage tank F, from which it may be III its

mageos drawn, as desired, through a valve p and.

outlet pipe 25. lf it is desired to retain the gas in an uncon'densed state, it may pass through condenser coil 20, without any cooling liquid flowing through the condenser tank 19, through pipe 21, condensate tank l?, valve n and pipe 24 into a gas tank G, where it may be stored for further use and from which it may be drawn through valve g and pipe 26.

I call particular attention to the fact that l employ superheated Water not steam, whereby I secure the utmost speed at the nozzles andthe instantaneous flashing into vapor immediately upon release from the nozzles, which materially contributes to the disrupting or atomizing action.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar With such matters that any pre` ferred number of jets may be employedand also vthat other-departures may be made from the details ofl construction of the apparatus described, and illustrated by me and yet the essentials of my invention be utilized, tor example, although it is preferable to utilize a mixture of oil and superheated Water in each jet, yet it is possible to employ jets so arranged that oil may be projected from one set of jets and superheated Water from the opposite jets; also although l much prefer that the jets should be opposed to each other :is-described, because then the impact of the rapidly moving opposed fluids upon each other is accentuated and the disrupting effect increased because they meet While both are moving at high velocity in opposite directions, still satisfactory results may be secured, especially in the ltreatment of oils of certain quality or in special conditions, if the comhined superheated water and oil be projected against any suitable obstruction, in such case, however, the pressure and consequently the velocity should usually be increased. il therefore do not limit myseli2 in any respect thereto, on the contrary, desire protection ier my invention as broadly as the claims lisier? imply:

claim:

i. The described process consisting in superheating water under pressure. then combining the superheated Water with oil,

`orthwiinh conveying the mixture thence to a yaporizing chamber and projecting the mixture under pressure against an obstructing substance Within said vaporizing chainpressure through a specially heated converting coil and condensing and removing the product.

2. The described process consisting in superheating Water under pressure then combining the superheated. Water with oil, forthwith conveyin the mixture thence to a vaporizing cham er and projecting the fluid mixture in opposed streams through axially opposed nozzles Within said vaporizing chamber, conducting the resulting vapors under pressure through a specially heated converting coil and condensing and removing the product.

3. The described process consisting in conveying water under pressure through a heating coil Within a furnace Where it `.is superheated under ressure, then mixing oil under pressure Wit the superheat'ed Water, immediately after such admixture conveying the same to a series of opposed nozzles located Within an enclosed vaporizing chamber, regulating the passage loli the mixture through the opposed nozzles to produce the desired velocity and atemizing result, conducting the resulting vapors through a specially heated converting coil and condensing and removing the product. 4. -As steps in an oil converting process continuously superheating Water under pressure, then continuously mixing the same With oil under pressure, and immediately and continuously releasing the mixture under pressure against an obstruction which causes impact within an enclosed atomizing chamber and continuously conducting the resulting vapors throughsV specially heated converting coil and continuously removing the product.

5. ln apparatus of the class stated., Water tank, an oil tank, meaus'to generate pressure in each tank, a furnace, a Water superheating coil Within the furnace, a pip-e connection between said `ruiter 'tan nd said. water superheating ceii, an enclosed atcmizf ing chercher, pipes connecting` A"he water coil and the oil teni; with a nczsle which rlisn charges into the atcinifiing chamber., a cenrerting coil within the turna-2^., a pipe connection between atcriising chamber and said converting coil, a ccndenser connccting with the converting coil. and means to convey away and sters the product.

JOEE MURRXE. 

